The best and worst staycation cities of 2014

Best place for a staycation? Your backyard

Though the economy is recovering, rising travel costs have caused many Americans to embrace the concept of staycationing, or vacationing in place.

The 2014 summer travel season is off to a good start, with more 36 million people having traveled at least 50 miles from home on Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA.

According to WalletHub, vacationers plan to spend an average of $1,246 per person this summer, a nine percent increase from 2013.

This increase is due in part to a rise in airfare and hotel costs in popular destinations.

Don’t feel like emptying your wallet, once again, for a summer trip?

Let the long, cold winter be a memory of the past and give a staycation a try.

To that end, WalletHub has compared each of the 100 largest cities in the U.S. based on 20 key metrics- ranging from the number of public courses and swimming pools per capita to the cost of maid services.

Looking to play 18 holes?
Cincinnati, Ohio, is an ideal place to go a few rounds, featuring the most public golf courses per capita of all cities measured.

Cleveland, Ohio, is the best place to take a dip, featuring the most swimming pools per capita.

Museum traipsing more your thing? New Orleans, Louisiana, features the most museums per capita, closely followed by Washington, D.C.

If you live in Chula Vista, California, or New York City, you might be out of luck, depending on what kind of staycationing you’re into.

New York City features the least swimming pools per capita among all cities measured, and Chula Vista features the least tennis courts per capita.

Hedging your bets about whether or not to hop on a plane or take it easy at home?